Kanye Omari West is a Grammy award winning rapper, producer, author, designer and singer.

He began making beats and rapping in the early 90s in Chicago when he formed the rap group Go Getters with Chicago natives GLC and Really Doe. He later gained nationwide popularity in New York when he began producing tracks for artists such as Jay-Z, Twista, Mase, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.

In 2004, after being pushed aside by many record companies who felt he wasn't a marketable hip hop artist, he managed to release his debut solo album, The College Dropout on Roc-a-Fella Records. The album received critical acclaim, defining the style for which West would become known: "wordplay" and heavy sampling of 70s soul and rnb tracks. He is also known for his politically-charged rhymes and controversial behavior both inside and outside the realms of music.

He has since released five more albums, all of which have received numerous awards, high commercial success and critical acclaim. Late Registration; Graduation; 808s & Heartbreak; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy; Watch the Throne (alongside Jay -Z); and latest masterpiece Yeezus.

West'€™s style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was "The Truth" by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was '€This Can'€™t Be Life',€ a track from Jay-Z'€™s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre'€™s '€œXxplosive'€ to use as a replacement for his drums on '€œThis Can'€™t Be Life'.€

West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol'™ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said by Kanye West: '€œWu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time. We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the style I use, RZA has been doing that.'€

Kanye West won 4 Grammy Awards for his album Graduation. He performed his hit song '€œStronger'€ at the 2008 Grammys and a new lyrical version of 'œHey Mama'€ as a tribute to his mother'€™s death in 2007.

On November 22, 2010, Kanye West released his fifth album 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', which became his fourth consecutive #1 album in the U.S. upon release. On 17 December 2010, Kanye West was voted as the MTV Man of the Year by MTV.

The 8th August saw Kanye team up with jay Z and a slew of other hip hop luminaries for the critically lauded 'Watch The Throne' album. Pharrell, Q-Tip, Beyonce, and Frank Ocean are just some of the artists involved. "Niggas in Paris" became the record's highest charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2012, West released the compilation album Cruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music. Cruel Summer produced four singles, two of which charted within the top twenty of the Hot 100: "Mercy" and "Clique". West also directed a film of the same name that premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens.

Sessions for West's sixth solo effort begin to take shape in early 2013 in his own personal loft's living room at a Paris hotel. Determined to "undermine the commercial," he once again brought together close collaborators and attempted to incorporate Chicago drill, dancehall, acid house, and industrial music. Primarily inspired by architecture, West's perfectionist tendencies led him to contact producer Rick Rubin fifteen days shy of its due date to strip down the record's sound in favor of a more minimalist approach. Initial promotion of his sixth album included worldwide video projections of the album's music and live television performances.

Yeezus, West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013 to rave reviews from critics. It became the rapper's sixth consecutive number one debut. Def Jam issued "Black Skinhead" to radio in July 2013 as the album's lead single. On September 6, 2013, Kanye West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar, accompanying him along the way.

On November 10, 2013, actor Will Ferrell announced that West and actor Paul Rudd are working on an Anchorman album stating: "He's doing an album with Paul Rudd — which I shouldn't have said, anyway it's out there," Ferrell, dressed as Ron Burgundy said. "I think they were just comparing notes and laying down some tracks, as they say in the biz. Rudd is doing all the hooks. That's a big deal. I heard the album's terrible, by the way. Awful." On November 24, 2013, West stated that he was working on and recording his next studio album, hoping to release it by mid-2014. The album is being produced by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.